The Inner Solar System: The Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, And Mars (explorer's Guide To The Universe (hardcover))

The planets closest to the Sun—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—include the world we know and its closest neighbors. However, despite our proximity, these rocky, silicate-based planets still represent so many mysteries yet to discover. Through a trove of images and a narrative bursting with detail, The Inner Solar System imparts what is known about this small corner of the Galaxy, and piques reader interest in the unknown. TITLE......Page 3 COPYRIGHT......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 5 INTRODUCTION......Page 10 ORBITS......Page 19 PLANETS AND THEIR MOONS......Page 20 THE INTERPLANETARY MEDIUM......Page 21 ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM......Page 23 THE KANT-LAPLACE NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS......Page 24 MODERN IDEAS......Page 25 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES......Page 31 ENERGY GENERATION AND TRANSPORT......Page 33 HELIOSEISMOLOGY......Page 35 THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE......Page 36 THE CHROMOSPHERE......Page 38 THE CORONA......Page 41 SOLAR WIND......Page 42 SUNSPOTS......Page 43 PROMINENCES......Page 47 FLARES......Page 49 SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL EFFECTS......Page 51 HISTORY OF SOLAR OBSERVATIONS......Page 52 CHAPTER 3 MERCURY......Page 56 BASIC ASTRONOMICAL DATA......Page 59 OBSERVATIONAL CHALLENGES......Page 60 ORBITAL AND ROTATIONAL EFFECTS......Page 61 MERCURY IN TESTS OF RELATIVITY......Page 62 THE ATMOSPHERE......Page 63 THE MAGNETIC FIELD AND MAGNETOSPHERE......Page 65 CHARACTER OF THE SURFACE......Page 66 PLAINS......Page 68 SCARPS......Page 70 SURFACE COMPOSITION......Page 72 MERCURY’S FORMATION......Page 73 LATER DEVELOPMENT......Page 74 CHAPTER 4 VENUS......Page 76 BASIC ASTRONOMICAL DATA......Page 77 THE ATMOSPHERE......Page 81 CHARACTER OF THE SURFACE......Page 84 SURFACE COMPOSITION......Page 85 SURFACE FEATURES......Page 86 FEATURES DUE TO TECTONIC ACTIVITY......Page 88 VOLCANIC FEATURES......Page 93 IMPACT CRATERS......Page 97 INTERIOR STRUCTURE AND GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION......Page 100 OBSERVATIONS FROM EARTH......Page 101 SPACECRAFT EXPLORATION......Page 103 CHAPTER 5 EARTH......Page 107 BASIC PLANETARY DATA......Page 109 THE ATMOSPHERE......Page 113 THE HYDROSPHERE......Page 116 THE THE OUTER SHELL......Page 117 THE INTERIOR......Page 120 THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD AND MAGNETOSPHERE......Page 121 ACCRETION OF THE EARLY EARTH......Page 123 EFFECTS OF PLANETESIMAL IMPACTS......Page 124 PLANETARY DIFFERENTIATION......Page 125 EARTH IMPACTS......Page 126 OBJECTS THAT POSE A THREAT......Page 128 FREQUENCY OF IMPACTS......Page 130 NEO SEARCH PROGRAMS......Page 132 DETERMINING THE HAZARD POTENTIAL OF AN NEO......Page 134 DEFENDING EARTH FROM A COLLIDING OBJECT......Page 135 CHAPTER 6 THE MOON......Page 136 DISTINCTIVE FEATURES......Page 138 PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARTH-MOON SYSTEM......Page 139 MOTIONS OF THE MOON......Page 144 THE LUNAR SURFACE......Page 145 EFFECTS OF IMPACTS AND VOLCANISM......Page 147 SMALL-SCALE FEATURES......Page 150 NOTABLE SURFACE FEATURES......Page 151 LUNAR ROCKS AND SOIL......Page 154 STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION......Page 157 ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION......Page 158 EARLY STUDIES......Page 160 EXPLORATION BY SPACECRAFT......Page 163 LUNAR RESOURCES......Page 169 CHAPTER 7 ECLIPSES......Page 172 SOLAR ECLIPSE PHENOMENA......Page 173 OCCULTATIONS......Page 175 TRANSITS OF MERCURY AND VENUS......Page 176 ECLIPSES OF THE SUN......Page 177 THE FREQUENCY OF SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSES......Page 178 CYCLES OF ECLIPSES......Page 179 PREDICTION AND CALCULATION OF SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSES......Page 180 SOLAR RESEARCH......Page 182 ECLIPSES IN HISTORY......Page 185 LITERARY AND HISTORICAL REFERENCES......Page 187 USES OF ECLIPSES FOR CHRONOLOGICAL PURPOSES......Page 199 USES OF ECLIPSES FOR ASTRONOMICAL PURPOSES......Page 201 CHAPTER 8 MARS......Page 204 BASIC ASTRONOMICAL DATA......Page 206 EARLY TELESCOPIC OBSERVATIONS......Page 208 POLAR REGIONS......Page 210 TRANSIENT ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA......Page 211 BASIC ATMOSPHERIC DATA......Page 212 COMPOSITION AND SURFACE PRESSURE......Page 213 ATMOSPHERIC STRUCTURE......Page 215 METEOROLOGY AND ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS......Page 216 CHARACTER OF THE SURFACE......Page 217 SOUTHERN CRATERED HIGHLANDS......Page 219 SURFACE COMPOSITION......Page 222 OUTFLOW CHANNELS AND OCEANS......Page 223 VALLES MARINERIS......Page 224 THARSIS AND ELYSIUM......Page 225 POLAR SEDIMENTS, GROUND ICE, AND GLACIERS......Page 227 NOTABLE SURFACE FEATURES......Page 228 THE INTERIOR......Page 230 METEORITES FROM MARS......Page 231 MARTIAN MOONS......Page 232 PHOBOS......Page 233 DEIMOS......Page 234 SPACECRAFT EXPLORATION......Page 235 THE QUESTION OF LIFE ON MARS......Page 237 GLOSSARY......Page 239 FOR FURTHER READING......Page 241 INDEX......Page 242 We may think we have an understanding about our planetary neighborsMercury, Venus, and Marsbut despite our proximity, these rocky, silicate-based planets still hold countless mysteries. Through a trove of images and a narrative bursting with detail, this volume imparts what is currently known about this small corner of the Galaxy. Curiosity about Earth and these three neighbors will be satisfied, while readers learn there is much yet to discover. Interesting sidebars allow for deeper comprehension and exploration. Imparts what is currently known about the sun and the inner planets of the solar system